George and the Pursuit of Happiness

Hi friends, I'm joining this party a little late. I'll keep updating this as we go along, but I'm aiming my story to just be a fun and simple 3-minute, animated short format.

George and the Pursuit of Happiness

Setting: Modern day

Once upon a time, there was a young man named George

Everyday, he did the exact same thing: wake up, go to work, watch tv, then go to bed. The days blurred together, each one identical to the one before it.

Because of this, he became depressed, bored, and lonely, wondering what he was doing with life.

Until one night, he finally grabs the strength to break out of routine and dares himself to do something incredibly spontaneous – to go out into the city and not return until he kisses a girl.

Just when it looks like this journey was for naught, he manages to connect with a beautiful girl by pure luck and accident (a la romance movies).

They go back to his apartment, and just before they are about to kiss... the girl reveals that she’s actually a vending machine.

The vending machine tells George that it knows about his monotonous life and wants to reward him with a can of diet eternal happiness for his decision to make the most out of life.

George is initially dumbfounded, but as the machine speaks, George reflects upon his life and decides not to question the logical reality of the situation. The machine asks, "Is this not what you were looking for, spontaneity?"

George drinks the can and is transported to another realm. He has stayed there ever since, never feeling lonely or sad again.

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Just a note that I wanted the unexpected vending machine reaveal to pretty much be the punchline in my story and to support the motif of George's search for spontaneity. As a result, I intentionally left very little setup/establishment for its reveal throughout the first act of the story.

Let me know if it works or any other notes off the top of your guys' heads. Thanks!